Former anti-corruption chief Timothy Tong says he is aware of 'imperfections and inadequacies' during his five-year tenure but that his overspending 'was not a sin', at a Legislative Council select committee hearing in January. Photo: Sam Tsang

But the government's No2 official dismissed a suggestion for tighter rules to deter former chief executives, ministers and regulators from receiving benefits after they retired.

She also rejected a call to look at whether people who joined the civil service after 2000, when its pension system changed, might be more inclined to corruption.

Tong was appointed as a local delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Beijing's top advisory body, shortly before he was revealed to have spent lavishly on dinners and received gifts from mainland officials during his tenure at the Independent Commission Against Corruption between 2007 and 2012.

Referring to a Legislative Council report that condemned the "deplorable" overspending, Lam said: "The report revealed the inadequacies and non-compliances of the ICAC in the handling of official entertainment, duty visits outside Hong Kong and gifts during the tenure of its former commissioner.

Citing remarks made by advisory committee on corruption chairman Chow Chung-kong, Lam said: "[I share his feeling] the incident was upsetting and regrettable. … But I trust under the leadership of the present commissioner, the ICAC will continue its follow-up."

I can understand why they need travel budgets , but I cannot understand why they need entertainment allowances - especially the ICAC. I can't even unerstand why senior ICAC staff even need to leave HK, except to follow up cases which need overseas detective work . I certainly cannot understand Tong's frequent "pleasure trips" to China, unless it was that he was basically corrupt and was abusing his position for personal gain.
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Yet another pig at the trough - like Donald Tsang and Rafael H u i .
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(Seems that the internal rules by which our company operates in HK and China are by far stricter than the govt or the ICAC ! )

rpasea Feb 19th 20146:30pm

I am at a loss to understand why the ICAC, or any govt. department for that matter, needs meal, travel and entertainment budgets.

Kubrick Feb 19th 20148:06pm

One question, why did no ICAC staff 'blow the whistle.' Does not bode well when they can't deal with their own malpractice.

They need these allowances so that they can continue to pig at the trough! They are shameless in their sense of entitlement! Timothy Tong's behaviour has been deplorable and he has no sense of shame - just self- pity that he was caught!